


You Burn First

by bbspice



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bisexual Female Character, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Future Fic, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, Post-Canon, Post-War, Reader-Insert, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:06:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25273636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bbspice/pseuds/bbspice
Summary: The Kyoshi Warriors were trained to fight in all sorts of environments, protecting their villages and eventually the rest of the Earth Kingdom throughout the hundred-year war. This gloomy palace would not be a challenge to navigate should an attack occur, but it was not the possibility of a threat that bothered y/n about guarding the fire lord’s palace. It was the fire lord.--Four years after the end of the 100 year war, Zuko is still haunted by the ghosts of his past. When attempts on his life start to happen, he turns to the Kyoshi Warriors for help - but he never expected to be so intrigued by a girl who doesn't even like him.
Relationships: Zuko (Avatar)/Original Female Character(s), Zuko (Avatar)/Reader
Comments: 26
Kudos: 160





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hey!! as atla has started regaining popularity, we thought that it'd be a nice time to write our own fic! this is inspired by a passion for GOOD m/f enemies to lovers fic and a desire to see more of our fave fire nation gang. this is going to be multi-chap, so stay tuned for part 2! hope you enjoy :)

The hall’s in the fire lord’s palace were dark and filled with many places a potential intruder could enter. The gaudy gold fixtures lining the walls contributed little to the security of the building, the pillars providing too many shadows to lurk in. The Kyoshi Warriors were trained to fight in all sorts of environments, protecting their villages and eventually the rest of the Earth Kingdom throughout the hundred-year war. This gloomy palace would not be a challenge to navigate should an attack occur, but it was not the possibility of a threat that bothered y/n about guarding the fire lord’s palace. It was the fire lord.

Sure, Zuko had joined the Avatar and helped rescue Suki from prison. Maybe he had helped save the world. But that didn’t mean she had to forgive him for everything else. When the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors had been freed from the Boiling Rock and they attended Zuko’s coronation, she had thought that was it. They were done with the war and with the fire lord. They were going to go back to protecting their villages, the job that they’d all signed up for. 

For a while they had, it was a daunting task helping the world adjust to a post-war way of life but one that they accepted with pride. The Kyoshi Warriors worked hard over the years, helping to restore balance to a world ravaged by the horrors of war. Yet, 4 years after the end of the war, Zuko had called them back. 

Y/n sighed and tapped her folded fan against a pillar as she came to a stop. This was ridiculous. All this training and skill to be a glorified palace guard? A Kyoshi Warrior was worth more than this. She had been one of the few to object to this mission, but one look from Suki had snuffed any burning rebellion in her. She had gone along with everything out of respect to Suki and dedication to the Kyoshi Warriors, not because she had any desire to protect the fire lord. All that power and wealth and he couldn’t protect himself from some measly threats? Y/n resisted the urge to chuckle to herself. 

She placed her fan back onto her belt and looked around. They had been given a brief tour of the palace when they first arrived about a week ago, focusing on the throne room and other more important areas. 

All that the Kyoshi Warriors had been told was that Zuko had been receiving some threatening letters and had become paranoid of an attempt on his life. He had asked the Kyoshi Warriors to provide some added protection, as he trusted them. Why Zuko supposedly trusted a group of foreign warriors more than his own palace guards? Y/n didn’t know. She guessed that he had become suspicious of his palace workers and was afraid of someone sneaking in and joining their ranks.   
In her short time at the palace, she hadn’t seen any questionable activity, but she had also been stationed in some of the farthest reaches of the palace. She hadn’t even seen the fire lord yet, let alone talked to him about the threats. 

A soft thump off to the side snapped y/n back to attention. It was the middle of the night, the majority of the palace staff had been sent home or were sleeping in their quarters. She was the only Kyoshi Warrior positioned in this wing of the palace and no other guards should have been on duty here. Another thump, a little louder this time. Slowly placing her hand on her fan, y/n took a silent step forward to look down the hallway. It was difficult to see in the dim lighting provided by the flickering flames lining the hall, but her eyes were those of a trained warrior.   
The odd movement of a shadow drew her eyes towards the space between some pillars further down the hall. She crept towards the shadow, hand on her weapon and prepared for an attack. When she was within arms reach of the pillars, the sudden flash of a bright red robe sent her jumping back. 

“Fire Lord?” she said in shock.

Zuko stumbled out from the shadows, hair down and tousled from sleep. He seemed to be in rough shape as if he had been suddenly pulled from his bed. There were dark circles under his bloodshot eyes, a fact she couldn’t help but notice as he glared at her.

“What are you doing out of bed? And so far from your bedroom?” y/n questioned. He glanced both ways down the hall before approaching her suddenly.

“Have you seen anything strange tonight?” Zuko said quickly. Y/n resisted the urge to push him back, as he had gotten way too close for comfort. She focused on calming her breathing and pushed down the burst of adrenaline that was coursing through her.

“No, I haven’t seen anything. Even if I had, I’d report it to Suki first, not you. You also haven’t answered my question: what are you doing up?” she said. Zuko squinted as if trying to detect any deception in her features. She levelled him with her own glare, daring him to back down first. 

Zuko took a step back. Still trying to assert a facade of leadership. The cracks in that facade were clear to anyone looking.

“I’m assessing the security of this hall myself,” he wiped a column as if to inspect it. “ You can never be too careful. As Fire Lord it is simply my job,” he said, his left eye twitching. 

His facial expression betrayed the words coming out of his mouth. It was clear to anyone how exhausted he was. From the looks of it, this had been going for a while now, y/n thought to herself. She understood the toll of war and the effects that took hold of you for years after.

The paranoia. The flashbacks. The fear.

As much as y/n did not want to admit it, she felt a pang of sympathy for the young Fire Lord in that moment. She lowered her gaze, yet the fire in her eyes did not dim. Y/n gestured towards the hall that led to the Fire Lord’s private wing of the palace, striding in close perimeter to him as they walked. She also felt tired from the night's watch but did her best not to express it. In a way it was funny. How she and the Fire Lord both looked dead on the inside. With their matching dark circles. A slight giggle escaped her lips and cut through the awkward silence of their walk.

Zuko raised an eyebrow questioning her odd behaviour. 

“Apologies. Fire Lord,” she paused thinking of what to say, “ I was just thinking about something from earlier this evening,” she lied. 

“I had soup today,” he blankly said. He definitely needed to sleep urgently. Y/n could not tell whose mental state was worse off at that moment. Because she found that statement oddly funny. “It was slightly cold too. Don’t get me wrong that’s not the worst part of it. It was poisoned too. But I’m trying to keep my mind off of that. Which isn’t working. I’m wandering my own palace like a crazy person at 2 in the morning. You know, I haven’t slept in four days. And no one even cares that my soup was cold. All my friends are busy saving the world and here I am freaking out over my soup being cold. Did I forget to mention the part about the increasingly worrying amount of threats on my life? And I’m telling this all to you for what reason?” he said without pausing once.

Y/n had no idea what to say to him. He was a stranger that she had only heard tales of from her friends. Before she could even attempt to say something in return, she was interrupted by a loud clanging noise in the background followed by a scream.

The safety of the palace had been compromised.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey we're back with chap 2! It's incredible seeing the response to chapter 1 and it's really made us excited to keep posting :). If you're interested here's a link to our tumblr! Enjoy this chapter and expect more soon.  
> https://avtrkyoshis.tumblr.com/

Y/n quickly took hold of the Fire Lord’s sweaty yet soft hand. She nearly dropped one of her fans in the panic of trying to get him to safety. Normally she would have made a snarky comment about his strangely sweaty hands, but now was not the time for any of that.

She swiftly started to assess the situation at hand. No one else was around to back her up. Just a half-asleep Fire Lord and one single Kyoshi warrior. The best option was to hide out in the library that she recalled was nearby. The rest of the palace guards could manage the situation. All Y/n had to do was stay hidden with the Fire Lord until back up came.

While the noises came from close by, the odds were they would not pinpoint where Zuko would be. They likely didn’t even know he had left his bedroom. Time right now was the most important thing, they had to hide quickly in case any potential assailant saw them.

She shoved Zuko behind a tucked-away shelf of books. Maybe she was too aggressive, but he didn’t seem to mind. His heart was pounding out of his chest. Y/n couldn’t help but also be afraid in the situation. She normally had the comfort of fighting with others by her side. She did her best to hide any sort of fearful expression.

“Can you make your heart quieter or something,” she said in an attempt to be sympathetic.  
“You’re the one talking.”  
“That’s - ugh, fine. Stay put. I’m going to go out and see if there’s anyone near.”

Before she could walk away, Zuko took hold of her hand.

“Stay.”

Despite the darkness, she could see the pleading look in his eyes. Even one of the most powerful men in the world felt fear in moments like these.

Y/n simply nodded in understanding.

They stood in silence together for a moment. She never really noticed this before but his eyes were the most magnificent glittering shade of amber.  
She hastily looked away, hoping that he did not notice her staring. It’s not like he would ever care for someone like her. Despite the outcome of the war and the peace that came from it, he was Fire Nation and she was Earth Nation. There was still plenty of resentment from both cultures. Y/n still received uncomfortable glares from the people of the Fire Nation. 

Y/n was still able to acknowledge the fact that he was handsome despite the fact that he had the sweatiest hands she ever felt.

The noise in the halls started to settle. Zuko began to step out behind the safety of the hidden nook they were in.

Still, no clear signal had been given stating the threat was over. She felt it in her gut that not everything was at ease. Y/n grasped her fans tighter than before ready to fight.

Her ears picked up a quiet squeak somewhere further into the library. Someone was lurking near them.

She whipped her head around just in time to see a dark figure preparing to throw something. Tugging Zuko behind her, she spread her fan out and blocked the small throwing knife before it could hit either of them. Y/n threw one of her fans towards the dark figure’s outstretched arm, knocking the remaining throwing knives out of their hand. 

Armed with her other fan, Y/n moved towards the figure, vaguely registering Zuko following her closely. Before the attacker could reach for a discarded knife, she kicked the weapon aside and pushed them to the floor. She pulled the green ribbon that secured her armour from her waist and tied the attacker’s wrists with it behind their back. Satisfied with her work and sure that they wouldn’t be escaping, Y/n took a closer look at the attacker. 

They were wearing dark nondescript robes and a mask that only left their eyes revealed. She scanned their clothing for any sort of insignia that would indicate an organization but found nothing.  
Disappointed, she got back on her feet and turned around, running straight into Zuko. Y/n had forgotten he’d followed her in her pursuit of the attacker. 

He stumbled back in surprise. Zuko ducked his head, embarrassed. 

“Sorry I didn’t-”  
“My apologies, Fire Lord”

They spoke at the same time, Zuko quickly muttering his apology. He was still standing close enough for Y/n to see a light blush dusting his cheeks. She stared at him, confused at this new side of the young Fire Lord in front of her. He had been so aggressive and anxious earlier. What had happened during her fight to make him change his attitude? She stepped away from him, suddenly needing to put distance between herself and Zuko. He must just be disoriented from the attack and lack of sleep. 

Just as Y/n was about to turn back to the captive attacker, she heard a rapidly approaching rush of footsteps in the hallway. She had let herself become distracted and completely ignored the possibility of more attackers finding them. Pulling the still half asleep Fire Lord to sit behind a desk, she drew her sword and prepared herself for an attack.  
Instead, a familiar face rounded the corner into the library.

“Suki!” Y/n exclaimed. 

The leader of the Kyoshi Warriors turned to face her, determination set in her painted face. Y/n sheathed her sword and helped Zuko back to his feet. Suki relaxed as soon as she saw the Fire Lord and quickly scanned the library, noting the captured assailant. 

“I’m so happy you’re safe. We had been assuming the worst when we realized the Fire Lord wasn’t in his room.” Suki said as she approached them.

“I ran into him while doing my rounds earlier. We were just heading back to his bedroom when the attack started and hid in here to wait it out.” Y/n told Suki. 

Suki glanced behind them and raised an eyebrow. “Seems like you did a little more than just wait it out.” 

Y/n felt a smile tug on her lips and decided to let it show. Suki’s teasing was nothing new to her. Their playful banter was something she looked forward to, much to the annoyance of the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors. 

“We may have run into a little trouble. It was nothing I couldn’t handle. What about you, were there more attackers?” 

Suki sighed, “They went straight for the main bedroom, they probably assumed that it would be easier to attack while the Fire Lord slept. I don’t think they knew we would be here. They were very unprepared to deal with the Kyoshi Warriors.” 

“Most people are.”

It was Suki’s turn to smile. She turned to Zuko, who had been standing silently watching the exchange.

“You’re lucky Y/n was here with you. You’ve been out of it recently, what were you thinking to wander the palace alone?” Suki said in an accusatory tone.  
“Well, I-”  
“There’s no excuse. It was dangerous, Zuko. None of us want to see you hurt.”  
“I know. I’m sorry.” He turned to Y/n, surprising her. “Thank you for protecting me. I wasn’t much help tonight.” 

She blinked at him. She hadn’t expected him to thank her for anything based on his hostile attitude from earlier that night. There’s no way he had changed in the short time since then, this must be a front due to Suki’s presence. Y/n tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword.

“It’s my job,” she said flatly. 

Zuko narrowed his eyes at her comment but stayed silent. Suki raised her eyebrows at the exchange, staying silent as well. The air in the room suddenly felt charged. 

Suki broke the silence. “Anyway, you should go back to bed Zuko. We’re doubling the guard for tonight and we can discuss further measures in the morning.”

Zuko nodded and two more Kyoshi Warriors appeared from the hall, ready to escort Zuko back to his room. He began to exit the library but not before looking over his shoulder and making eye contact with Y/n. She searched his amber eyes for a threat but instead found something unexpected.

Intrigue. 

Before she could question him, he was gone. She felt a firm hand on her shoulder and looked over to see Suki. She squeezed her shoulder reassuringly before leaving in the opposite direction of Zuko, lugging the captured assailant after her. 

Y/n sighed and pressed her fingers to her eyes in frustration. She had never intended to interact with the Fire Lord outside of pleasantries and silent guarding. The thought of him stoked the fire that burned inside of her and she clenched her jaw. Nothing he could say or do would change her feelings about him. The war had wounded her, not just physically, and many of them were still healing. She knew better than to poke at something she shouldn’t.  
Despite how she felt, something had changed tonight. Y/n just didn’t know what.

\--

Her question was answered the next morning. She had been surprised to wake up and see one of the palace workers waiting for her outside her room. Her surprise turned to annoyance when they told her she was being summoned to the Fire Lord’s throne room at her earliest convenience. 

Skipping breakfast to get it over with, Y/n headed straight to the throne room. She nodded at the Kyoshi Warriors standing guard and pushed open the doors.

The throne room was as gloomy as the rest of the palace. The heat of the flames lining the walls pressed against her bare face, her warrior makeup being another thing she’d sacrificed in her rush. Surprisingly, Zuko wasn’t sitting on his throne. He was standing at the base of his throne in his typical Fire Lord attire, looking much more put together than the night before. Adding to her confusion, Y/n noticed Suki standing with Zuko. 

Stopping a few feet away, Y/n bowed in greeting.

“Fire Lord” she greeted.

He nodded and she stood back up. 

“Thank you for coming on such short notice,” Zuko said. His voice was steady and firm. He seemed much more like a Fire Lord this morning, despite the night’s attack. Y/n couldn’t help but notice the dark circles still sitting under his eyes.

“Zuko and I have been talking. He’s very impressed with how you handled the attack last night.” Suki said.

“Like I said last night, I was just doing my job” Y/n replied. She didn’t see why Zuko wanted to see her just to repeat what he’d told her already.

“It’s more than that.” Suki continued “You reacted swiftly and protected the Fire Lord when no one else even knew where he was. I know how skilled you are, Y/n.”

“I appreciate this, but why have you summoned me? It can’t just be to flatter me.” 

“I want you to be my personal bodyguard,” Zuko said suddenly. 

Y/n blinked at him. “What?” she said dumbly.

“Be my personal bodyguard. After last night, I realize that simply having the Kyoshi Warriors in the palace isn’t enough. Having someone with me at all times will be safer and ensure my protection. You showed your skills during the attack and Suki has vouched for you. That isn’t something I will easily dismiss.” He stated simply. 

Suki was smiling at her. She clearly thought this was a fantastic opportunity. Y/n didn’t know how to tell Suki that the last thing she wanted was to spend more time around the man she despised. Apparently she never would never get the chance to. 

“I’d be honoured to, Fire Lord,” Y/n said. She bowed once again, if only to hide the grimace that was threatening to reveal itself on her face. 

“That’s wonderful! We’ll have to get some things sorted so you can begin as soon as possible, but we can go over the basics now.” Suki began. Y/n barely registered anything she was saying. Her gaze had connected with Zuko’s as soon as she had risen from her bow. 

His eyes shone with the same intrigue she’d noticed last night. She knew her eyes contained nothing but resentment. Y/n felt the air between her and Zuko heat up, but she knew it wasn’t because of the fire surrounding them.  
This was going to be an interesting few weeks.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys this chapter took a lot longer than expected!! stay tuned for chapter 4 and 5 because theyre gonna get spicy.

Y/n stretched her arms over her head, feeling the tension release from her stiff shoulders. She looked around her room as she shifted into a lunge and continued to stretch. Her new quarters in the palace were much bigger than she was used to. It made sense that she was provided with such luxuries, she was the Fire Lord’s personal bodyguard after all. 

The days following her official position change had been busy. Not only had the security around the palace gotten stricter since the attack, but Y/n had been briefed on all of her new responsibilities. She’d been given a much more detailed tour of the palace and was shown some of the more hidden spots of the palace grounds. She was also given Zuko’s weekly schedule, as it was expected of her to attend all meetings and events with him. One glance at the packed timetable was enough to make her exhausted.

Strangely, Y/n was also given books on Fire Nation etiquette and history. On her first night as Zuko’s bodyguard, she’d briefly flipped through them and fought back a groan. She knew the Fire Nation was stuck up with their rules, but she’d never imagined it was this intense. Even under Zuko’s more lenient rule there was so much she needed to be aware of. She’d flopped back onto her ridiculously large bed and let herself drown in her homesickness. Y/n missed Kyoshi Island.

Despite her wanting to rebel and refuse these changes, Y/n never spoke up against it. She didn’t want to disrespect Suki or the Kyoshi Warriors. They had all agreed that she was the best person for this job and who was she to disobey. The Kyoshi Warriors are what Y/n prided herself on the most. 

She flattened her body out to begin her push-ups and continue her work out. There was no point in dwelling on how she’d gotten here, she needed to focus on her job. If Y/n remembered correctly, she was meant to attend some meetings with Zuko today. She wasn’t meant to meet up with him for at least another hour, which gave her plenty of time to complete her morning routine. 

A knock on her door startled Y/n out of her push-ups. She swore as she lost count of her reps and reached for a towel to wipe the sweat off of her face. 

“Come in,” she called.

The door swung open to reveal Zuko, already dressed in his Fire Lord robes. He wore his hair mostly down today, save for the small bun atop his head that held his crown in place. Y/n had noticed that despite wearing it up most days, he preferred to wear his hair this way. She thought it looked better down anyway. 

His nose was buried in a stack of papers as he walked towards her, brow furrowed in concentration. Y/n swung her towel over one shoulder and placed her hands on her hips. 

“Something in those papers frustrating you?” she asked.

Zuko sighed, “It’s nothing very important, just some reports on how the current harvest is going. I try to devote my attention to every report that comes my way, but I can’t say I find wheat crops that interesting.”

Y/n couldn’t help the grin that slipped through her normally stoic features. She’d noticed that Zuko was a very attentive Fire Lord. He dedicated much of his time to his nation, addressing even the most minor complaint from an average citizen. Y/n respected that about him.

Her musing was interrupted by Zuko looking up from his stack of papers for the first time since entering her room. His eyes widened as he took in Y/n, dressed in her typical exercise clothes of shorts and an athletic top. She knew she was fit, but she was suddenly hyper-aware of her body as Zuko blatantly stared at her abs. All of the Kyoshi Warriors followed similar exercise routines that prepared them for the style of fighting they preferred. Y/n was used to seeing the other Kyoshi Warriors in similar states to the one she was currently in and being seen by them in the same way. However, the stare Zuko was giving her made her ears burn. 

“Um. Did you need something from me Fire Lord?” Y/n said. 

Her sudden breaking of the silence shocked Zuko back to reality. He jumped, amber eyes darting to her face as a blush began to colour his cheeks. He cleared his throat and seemed very interested in the floor all of a sudden. 

“Y-yes actually. I wanted to warn you about some of the meetings we’re meant to attend today.”

“Warn me?”

“Unfortunately, yes. We’re meeting with some high ranking officials in the Fire Nation today. I’m sure you’ve seen it in the books you were given, but the Fire Nation takes etiquette very seriously. Everything down to the order in which you introduce yourself will be important.” Zuko told her. 

Y/n clenched her jaw. She had expected to be subjected to the judgement of Fire Nation officials eventually, but she didn’t expect it to be so soon. She exhaled harshly through her nose, suddenly feeling nervous. 

Zuko seemed to sense her anxiety. 

“Don’t stress over it too much. It’s not too many people and I’ll brief you on what to say while we walk over,” he said. He paused and his expression softened a bit. “Just trust me. You may be my bodyguard but I won’t let any of these stuffy old men push you around.” 

He smirked suddenly, the kindness in his eyes shifting to playfulness. 

“Besides, anything you do wrong will reflect poorly on me. I can’t have anyone spreading rumours about the Fire Lord’s disrespectful bodyguard.” 

Y/n scoffed and rolled her eyes at him. If she’d done that in front of anyone else, she knew they would’ve been in shock. Blatantly disrespecting the Fire Lord must be pretty high up on the list of things she wasn’t supposed to do as his bodyguard. Despite that, Zuko seemed to let her snarky comments slide.

“I’ll meet you in front of your room in an hour. Give me time to become… less sweaty,” Y/n told him. 

This seemed to remind Zuko of her current state and a blush dusted his cheeks again. 

“Of course,” he muttered. He shuffled back towards her door and slipped out.

Y/n shook her head. 

\--

An hour later, they were walking together towards the throne room for the meeting. Zuko seemed to refuse to refer to it as a war room, so she figured it was best to follow suit. He was listing off the proper order that she should greet the officials they were meeting, how deep she should bow for each, their titles, and so many other details. Y/n was thankful for her experience in memorizing fighting forms and names. Otherwise, she would be completely lost.

“And don’t maintain eye contact for too long. They might think that’s rude. But don’t be too brief, that could come off as rude as well. You definitely need to make eye contact with each of them though, I can’t have them thinking I’m playing favourites,” Zuko told her.

“Is there anything I can do that won’t offend them?”

“Most likely not.”

“Fantastic.”

“It won’t be that bad,” he said, “Try to just follow my lead.”

Y/n swallowed a groan. They had reached the throne room too fast for her liking. Zuko turned to her, looking like he was about to give her a final pep talk. Instead, his face turned sombre.

“Trust me. I won’t let anything bad happen. I’ve had my experience with disrespecting arrogant old men and it’s not something I would wish on anyone.”

Y/n furrowed her brow. She wasn’t sure what he was referring to, she hadn’t been told of anything happening with Zuko’s recent meetings. Unconsciously, she looked at Zuko’s scar. A heavy feeling in her stomach told her that it was related to what he was saying.

Eyes shifting towards the door, he continued, “Anyway, let’s head in. I’m sure you want to get this over with as much as I do.”

Without waiting for her response, Zuko pushed the doors open and headed inside. Y/n followed close behind him. 

The throne room was as she remembered it being the last time she was in there. There were the new additions of a long table leading to the Fire Lord’s throne, as well as three older men sitting at it. They were dressed in deep red robes, indicating their high status within the Fire Nation. Y/n knew they weren’t military officials like she had initially expected, but simply members of the Fire Nation nobility that resided within the capitol. She could tell by the way they held themselves that they were aware of their importance. From what Zuko had told her, these particular men had been a nuisance for him. They had been resistant towards Zuko’s efforts to change the way the Fire Nation viewed themselves and the rest of the world.

Zuko sat down at the head of the table. Y/n was not sure whether to simply stand by him until Zuko indicated for her to sit beside him. From the looks on the Fire Nation nobles, they were not pleased. Probably by her presence. Y/n awkwardly shifted in her chair, not even sure what to do while the men began to converse.

“We need more military presence in our colonies,” one of the men started. “The Earth Kingdom citizens need to be reminded of where they live. Since the end of the war they’ve started to forget who’s in charge.”

Y/n’s face flushed with anger. All she could hear coming out of his was pure nonsense. How could these old men know what was right for the Earth Kingdom? After all, they were directly responsible for all the conflict and war, she thought to herself.

Y/n nails dug deeper into the palm of her hand. It took everything in her to refrain from going up to them and punching them. She almost did. Until she felt a hand lightly graze her arm under the table. She looked up only to see it was Zuko touching her. He gave her a sympathetic look. As if to say he understood.

Y/n’s feelings for the Fire Lord were always quite complicated. On the one hand, his father and people were directly responsible for so many heinous crimes. Yet he was almost different. He cared.

Zuko cleared his throat, silencing the room. Immediately everyone, including Y/n, could not help but stare directly.

“No. That is the exact opposite of what we must do. For so long our military presence has harmed so many. We stand for so much more now. The colonies represent a new future for both Nations, we exist in balance with the Earth Kingdom citizens. The Fire Nation is no longer in charge of the colonies and we have no right to threaten the people living there. ” 

Y/n couldn’t help but smile to herself. The old men looked shocked at Zuko’s answer. Zuko stared them down, eyes daring them to challenge him. The one who had initially spoken bowed his head towards Zuko.

“Fire Lord, I strongly suggest you reconsider. Although the war is over, the world needs to remember the power the Fire Nation holds.”

Her proximity to Zuko allowed for Y/n to feel how the air around him quickly heated at the noble’s response. She knew how it was common for fire benders to accidentally trigger their bending when experiencing intense emotion. The noble’s seemingly polite answer had been loaded with a complete disregard of Zuko’s vision for the future, a fact which had clearly angered him. 

“I will be doing no such thing. You have shown a complete ignorance towards my vision for the future of the Fire Nation and the harm that we caused during the war. The Earth Kingdom citizens are good people deserving of respect, treating them as such will not taint their view of the Fire Nation. The only presence we should have in the other nations is one of peace.”

With Zuko’s statement they left.

\--

“I appreciate what you did in there. But you didn’t have to hold me back. I can handle myself,” she stammered.

“I know you can,” he looked at her with those eyes, “I just don’t know if _they_ can.”

The two of them stood alone together. The heat from Zuko’s anger during the meeting lingered on her skin. They stayed there, looking at each other, until their conversation was interrupted by the best sort of interruption.

Ty Lee ran up to Y/n and engulfed her in a hug. For a second she could not breathe, but the best sort of hugs are the ones that squeeze the life out of you. The two girls had met in boiling rock where they quickly became friends. But if Ty Lee liked her, that had to say something about her character. 

It took a moment for Y/n to notice the person that had been with Ty Lee. Azula stared at them intently. Y/n didn’t understand why. They were just standing together after all.

“Looks like my ugly brother finally found someone _special_.”

Ty Lee playfully nudged Azula’s arm and said, “Azula you know Y/n is just his bodyguard.”

“The same way you’re _just_ my bodyguard too,” she smirked at Ty Lee. 

Y/n felt like she had intruded on something she shouldn’t have. By the look on Zuko’s face, he felt the same. But Zuko always looked uncomfortable, it was part of his charm.

“Have you packed for Ember Island Y/n?” Ty Lee said, trying to shift the conversation in a different direction.

“Ember Island?”

“Didn’t Zuko tell you? Suki thought it was best we all go for a bit until the whole assassin situation calms down. Well, really it was supposed to just be Zuko. But we could all use a little vacation,” Ty Lee said.

First Y/n had to become the Fire Lord’s personal bodyguard and now she was going on vacation with him and his friends? Things could not get any crazier. What she didn’t understand was why Zuko didn’t bring it up? It just made no sense for him to keep it from her. Her confusion must’ve shown on her face, as Azula’s smirk got more mischievous.

“Looks like there’s some trouble in paradise. You guys really need to work on your communication skills as a couple.”

“Azula!” Ty Lee nudged her harder.

“Make sure you pack plenty of sunscreen for Zuzu. He tends to burn easily,” Azula said.

“ _Azula_!”

“What! _Oh._ Wow look at the time Ty Lee. We really should be going.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! we really enjoyed writing this chapter :) there will be another ember island chapter soon, so stay tuned for that!  
> also, check us out at [avtrkyoshis](https://avtrkyoshis.tumblr.com/) on tumblr!

Rays of sunlight fanned out behind her. If Y/n thought the capital city was boiling, Ember Island was even worse. The midday sun made her itch and want to rip off her heavy combat robes. 

“So you’ve packed the entire palace armory. But you forgot a swimsuit?” Ty Lee said brushing her hand against Y/n’s long sleeve.

“This isn’t exactly supposed to be a vacation for me,” she responded, looking at the bag she held packed to the brim with stuff. Y/n knew she had a habit of being overly prepared. Suki and the others always joked that maybe she was a little bit too paranoid. But after everything that’s happened in her life, she couldn’t help it. If there was anything she could do to keep those around her safe, she would do it. Even if it meant looking crazy.

Her beach bag, also known as the Fire Lord Zuko emergency kit, swayed on her arm. It was filled with anything you could possibly think of. Y/n grew more concerned for the Fire Lord every day. It was her job after all. And nothing more than that. She was simply a bodyguard who cared about the person she protected. Maybe she stayed up countless nights worrying about him too. Wasn’t that normal? She thought to herself.

“Okay, so the pink swimsuit or the white one?” Ty Lee said holding up the swimsuits to her face. Y/n hadn’t taken the time to notice Ty Lee digging through her countless swimsuits on the bedroom floor of the house they were staying in. Ty Lee always had the most impeccable fashion taste. Y/n pointed at the pink swimsuit with little frills on the ends. This was sort of exciting for her. She never really had the opportunity to wear something so cute on a regular basis. 

Y/n quickly changed into it and it met with the others in the living room. She walked over to where Zuko stood.

“Oh. You look…different,” he said, his face started to get flushed. It was strange they had barely been outside and he was burning already. 

“Thanks?” Y/n was not sure how to respond to him. She was technically on official duty. Was she allowed to accept a compliment from the Fire Lord? She wasn’t sure if that even counted as a compliment.

“Wow, Y/n you look so cute!” Suki said. The colour of Y/n’s cheeks was beginning to match her swimsuit. 

“Says you! You always look really nice Suki,” Y/n said, fumbling her words and desperately hoping that Suki did not notice how awkward she was.

“You’re darn right Y/n,” Sokka wrapped his arm around Suki and grinned.

“Wait, can someone tell me why Sokka is here again?”

“There’s a very simple reason---”

While he was explaining the purpose of his trip here, a loud boat blared it’s horn in the distance blocking out anything Sokka was saying.

“And that’s why I’m on Ember Island,” Sokka said, acting like everyone had heard him talk for the last 30 seconds. Y/n simply nodded and everyone followed.

\--

“What’s in the giant bag Y/n? Little apple slices and extra towels for Zuzu?” Azula said while laying down a beach towel for Ty Lee.

“Actually yes. I brought snacks, sunscreen and swords. Just in case,” Y/n stated now slightly embarrassed. Was it too much? she thought to herself.

Next to Azula sat Zuko attempting to put sunscreen on his back. Azula really was right. Maybe she was more his babysitter than a bodyguard. 

“I sorta need help applying it on my back,” Zuko said.

“Sure--,” she responded. But before she could fully answer him Sokka interrupted.

“Why didn’t you say so earlier, buddy! Sokka’s got you covered.” Y/n exhaled in relief that Sokka had volunteered. Would everyone get the wrong idea by her volunteering? She was just doing her job in protecting the Fire Lord.

While Sokka sat down behind Zuko, Azula said, “Why, isn’t _that_ a forward way of asking Y/n to rub your back.”

“Azula, stop teasing them. You promised me we would sightsee!” Ty Lee grabbed Azula and took her away. Y/n was incredibly grateful for that.

“Later losers,” she winked and with that, they were gone.

Her attention was drawn back to Zuko, who had just shouted in shock as Sokka slapped the sunscreen onto his back. 

“You don’t need to _slap_ it! You’re getting it everywhere!”

“We’re in the sand! And this way it spreads faster! I put lotion on this way, don’t worry about it,” Sokka shouted back at him, aggressively rubbing the sunscreen onto Zuko’s back.

Suki appeared next to Y/n, laughing, “Yeah, and Katara keeps telling you to stop doing it that way. You got it in her eye last time.”

“She doesn’t understand _efficiency_ ,” Sokka said, standing up. He nodded proudly at Zuko’s now protected skin, satisfied that his friend wouldn’t burn.

“Wanna check him out Y/n? Bodyguard’s seal of approval!”

Y/n blushed a little at Sokka’s phrasing. She glanced quickly at Zuko, whose face was also slightly red. 

“Um, he looks fine to me,” she muttered. “If he does burn though, I’m holding you responsible.”

Sokka gasped in mock offence, “I’d never allow that! I know how sensitive our precious Fire Lord’s skin is. Plus, I know not to mess with a Kyoshi Warrior.” 

Y/n smiled at his comment. She could see Suki rolling her eyes at him out of the corner of her eye, but she was smiling as well. 

Getting up from his spot on the beach, Zuko said, “Alright, are you done making fun of me? You know I can have you all banished. Who knows when I’ll snap.”

Sokka slapped his shoulder again, “I will never be done making fun of you. You owe me for all that time you spent trying to kill me!”

“That was _years_ ago!”

“And it still hurt!”

Y/n leaned over to whisper to Suki, “Are they always like this?”

“Always,” Suki sighed. She let them bicker for a few moments longer before cutting Sokka off. “Okay! What do you both want to do on the beach? Sitting alone in the shade is off the table, so don’t even think about that.”

Zuko frowned, “That felt directed at me.”

Ignoring Zuko, Sokka flung his arms up in glee, “We should play chicken!”

“Chicken?” Y/n questioned.

“Yeah! That game where you sit on someone’s shoulders and try to push another person off of someone else’s shoulders! Trust me, it’ll be fun!” Sokka replied.

Y/n glanced at Zuko, who looked just as hesitant as she felt. He shifted nervously in the sand. Zuko being anxious about the game flipped a switch in Y/n, and she looked back to Sokka.

“Okay I'm in,” she said.

“Really?” Suki questioned. “I’m surprised you’re willingly relaxing. I thought you didn’t know how to.”

Y/n rolled her eyes at Suki, “Please, I know how to relax. Going along with Sokka just seems to be the most painless option.”

Zuko chuckled at her comment. Y/n started to smile at him, before realizing what had exactly happened. He had laughed. That was the first time she’d ever heard him do that and it had been at something she’d said. Up until this moment, he’d only ever lightly smiled at her. Y/n wasn’t sure how to feel about this development. 

Oblivious to her crisis, Sokka was trying to decide the teams.

“Obviously it should be you with me, Suki! We’re a great team! Romantically and tactically!” 

“I understand that! But isn’t it a _little_ unfair for Y/n and Zuko then?”

Sokka made a face like he was thinking deeply and stroked his chin, “Fair enough, fair enough. Zuko and I do make a killer team too! Or should I pair with Y/n and challenge myself with an unknown teammate?”

Sensing the danger of Sokka trying to decide his teammate, Suki grabbed Y/n’s arm, “I’ll pair with Y/n. Kyoshi Warriors vs…”

“The Boys! No wait, The Swordsmen! Wait, Fire and Water!” Sokka shouted.

“I like the second one,” Zuko said.

“Is a team name that important?” Y/n asked.

“Just let him have this,” Suki whispered to her.

Y/n shrugged and the group walked towards the crashing waves. She’d never played this game before and was a little worried. She was also hesitant to go too deep into the water. Despite living on Kyoshi Island for most of her life, she wasn’t exactly an experienced swimmer. Before her panic could settle in, water was splashing just above her elbows.

“This seems deep enough! Alright Zuko, let’s go!” Sokka said, already starting to climb onto Zuko’s shoulders.

“Sokka, wait! Give me a warning next time!”

Y/n turned to Suki, “Would you do me the honour of climbing on my shoulders and knocking your boyfriend into the ocean?”

Suki dramatically put her hand over her heart, “I would love nothing more.”

Suki climbed onto Y/n shoulders much more gracefully than Sokka. Making sure she was balanced, Y/n got ready for the game to begin. She watched Sokka balancing himself on Zuko’s shoulders, allowing herself a smile as Zuko tried to blink out the water that kept dripping into his eyes. Their eyes suddenly connected and her smile turned into a challenging grin. Zuko smiled back at her, silently accepting her challenge. 

“Alright, get ready… Go!” Sokka said.

He and Suki began pushing at each other’s shoulders. Y/n quickly realized how hard it was to keep her balance in the water and her feet slipping in the sand. She could see Zuko coming to a similar realization, his own inexperience showing. Despite that, Zuko held her challenging gaze. Y/n felt her competitiveness flare and she tightened her grip on Suki. No way was she about to lose to the Fire Lord.

Their game only lasted a few moments longer, ending with Suki landing a particularly hard shove against Sokka’s collarbone. He toppled back off of Zuko, causing water to soak the back of Zuko’s head. Suki let herself slip off of Y/n’s shoulders while laughing in victory. They exchanged a high five and Y/n looked back at the stunned Fire Lord in front of her. Caught up in her victory, she offered her hand to him. 

“Good game, Fire Lord,” she smirked at him.

Zuko stared at her offered hand for a few seconds, before grasping it with his own and smirking back. His hand was warm despite the cool water and his grip firm. Before Y/n could release his hand, a wave hit her back, pushing her into Zuko. The water went up to her neck and a sharp panic shot through her. She’d forgotten her inability to swim amidst the excitement. Her panic clouded her mind and she reached out blindly in an attempt to ground herself. She only realized what was happening when she felt a warm hand on her back. 

Y/n blinked, her eyes focusing. In her panic, she’d grabbed for the closest solid object. That had just so happened to be Zuko. They were standing in a poor imitation of a hug, her hands gripping his shoulders and his hands on her shoulder and back. He looked down at her, concern evident on his face.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

His voice quickly cleared Y/n’s mind. She pulled her hands back from him as if she had been burned. Her reaction caused Zuko to drop his hands from her as well.

Floating back and face burning, Y/n hugged herself, “I’m fine. I’m just not used to waves and swimming.”

Zuko furrowed his brow, “You can’t swim?”

“No. I’ve never needed to learn. It’s not like there’s deep water at the palace. You don’t need to worry about me not being able to save you like this.” she replied curtly.

“I didn’t mean-”

Y/n turned away, cutting him off. She knew that was incredibly rude but she couldn’t handle talking to Zuko anymore. Her face was still flushed with embarrassment and anger now. She’d never been that close to him before. She didn’t know why it bothered her so much, she was his bodyguard. It was expected that she’d get that close to him. Y/n ignored the fact that it was supposed to be to save his life, not to hug him out of fear.

“Suki!” she shouted. Suki’s head popped out from underwater, followed by Sokka’s. “I’m going back to the beach. You keep swimming.”

Suki looked mildly concerned but gave her a thumbs up. Y/n began trudging through the water towards the beach, but Zuko caught her by the elbow. She whipped her head around, anger in her eyes.

“Wait,” he said. “I’ll come with you.”

“You don’t need to-”

“Yes, I do.” he paused, thinking. “I want to keep you company after that. You seem pretty shaken up.”

She frowned at him. He gave her a shaky smile.

“Besides, you’re supposed to be protecting me, right? It’d be irresponsible to leave me alone out here.”

“You’re with the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors and a close friend of the Avatar. Not to mention you’re literally the Fire Lord,” Y/n deadpanned.

“You think that you’re not capable of protecting me then?”

Y/n narrowed her eyes at him. She recognized his challenge as an attempt to apologize without embarrassing her further. She sighed.

“Fine, come sit with me. I’ve heard how much you like to sit in the shade and brood.”

“That was one trip!”

Together, they walked back towards the beach.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> part 2 of our ember island chapters! this was really fun to write, we hope you enjoy reading as much as we did writing :)

Y/n spread her muted green towel out next to Zuko’s bright red one on the beach. She smiled to herself. She couldn’t help but notice how well their towels reflected their homes and personalities. 

Zuko shoved the umbrella she had brought into the sand and flopped down onto his towel. He shoved his still wet hair out of his eyes and brushed some sand off of his legs. Y/n sat carefully on her own towel, trying to avoid sitting too close to Zuko. She had let him come back to the beach with her as a way of accepting his apology for earlier, but now that they were here she wasn’t sure what to do. They’d been alone together before but it was always in an official setting. Sitting alone with the Fire Lord on vacation hadn’t been covered in her training.

Absentmindedly, she started to play with the sand. Y/n liked to have something to do with her hands, often busying herself with her sword or fans when on duty. It helped her stay focused and kept her mind from wandering. Currently, she busied herself with making shapes out of the sand.

As the minutes passed she relaxed more in Zuko’s company. They sat in a comfortable silence, the Fire Lord content to watch the waves crashing on the beach while she continued to build with the sand. They were silent for so long, that Zuko’s voice breaking the peace caused Y/n to jump.

“What are you building?”

In her surprise, Y/n squashed one of the little buildings with her hand. She swore under her breath and looked up at Zuko. He was sitting cross legged on his towel, leaning forward slightly to get a better look at her creation. There was genuine curiosity on his face. 

Y/n looked down at her tiny sand village. 

“Oh. It’s my hometown. I wasn’t paying attention to what I was making, I must’ve just done it unconsciously,” she replied.

Zuko frowned a bit, “That doesn’t look like Kyoshi Island?”

“I’m surprised you remember what it looked like. Last time you were there, you seemed preoccupied burning it down.”

“What’s with everyone taking shots at me today!” 

Y/n grinned at him, “I’m kidding! It doesn’t look like Kyoshi Island because it isn’t.”

Zuko furrowed his brow and tilted his head a bit, confused. Y/n sighed out of her nose lightly, steeling herself for what she was about to tell him.

“I was born in a small Earth Kingdom village, further into the mainland by the Si Wong desert. It’s name isn’t that important. It’s not there anymore,”

“What happened to it?” Zuko asked hesitantly. She had a feeling he already knew what she was about to say.

“When I was around 10 we were raided by a Fire Nation platoon. The village wasn’t prepared for it at all, we were so out of the way and insignificant that no Earth Kingdom soldiers had even considered defending us. Most of our capable earth benders had already left the village to join the military, so only non-benders and untrained benders were left,” Y/n said. “My parents did what they could to defend our home but they didn’t survive the attack. The platoon took our food and supplies, then torched our homes.”

Zuko stared at the sand village, sadness darkening features. “I’m sorry that happened to your home. I doubt I’ll ever manage to apologize for all that the Fire Nation has done to the world.”

“You’re trying. I think that’s all I can ask of you,” she replied. “After the platoon left, the survivors of my village were stuck as some of the many refugees in the Earth Kingdom. We decided to head to Kyoshi Island, since it was one of the few places left untouched by the war. I was newly orphaned and I felt so lost. But the Kyoshi Warriors took me in, they trained me. They became my family.”

Zuko looked up at Y/n. Their eyes connected and she saw something new in them. 

Understanding.

“I know how it feels to be so lost. After I was banished, it felt like my life was over. All I could focus on was finding the Avatar and returning to the Fire Nation. I was so desperate to hold onto my home and I made some pretty stupid decisions because of that,” he said. “If it wasn’t for my Uncle and Aang, I don’t know what would’ve happened to me. They saved me.”

Zuko reached over and placed his hand on top of hers. He squeezed gently, trying to convey the things he didn’t know how to put into words. 

“If you ever need anything, or to… talk. You can come to me. I might be able to understand more than you’d think,” Zuko said softly.

“Thank you,” Y/n whispered. She was worried that if she spoke any louder, her emotions would get the better of her. Zuko was one of the few people who now knew what happened to her. She’d only told the Kyoshi Warrior that first took her in and then later on, Suki. Her past was so personal to her and despite it being almost 9 years later, she still found it difficult to talk about her parents.

“I don’t know how much you were told or what rumours spread, but I’m sure you know that I didn’t exactly have an ideal childhood. My mother was banished when I was young and my father…” Zuko paused. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “It was a lot to deal with. Azula was a  _ nightmare _ when we were kids, but she’s been through as much as I have. I was only able to reunite with my mother recently, and I even have a new younger sister now. I’m so incredibly happy that I’ve been able to rebuild my family. But it hasn’t been an easy journey. I still have nightmares about my childhood.” 

“I think about my parents a lot. If they’d be proud of me now. I love the Kyoshi Warriors but I can’t help but think about what my life would be like if nothing had ever happened,” Y/n told him. She didn’t know why she was suddenly confessing this to him. Even Suki didn’t know this about her. Why did she think the Fire Lord would care about her past? Despite these thoughts, her deepest secrets continued to spill out. 

“Neither of my parents were benders, I’m not either, so it’s not like we were able to do much outside of our village. Yet, they never seemed upset by their simple life. If they could see me now…” she laughed lightly. “I know I never imagined I’d end up as the Fire Lord’s personal bodyguard.” 

Zuko smiled at her, “I know that it isn’t the easiest job. I can be  _ difficult _ as Suki likes to put it. I hope I haven’t been too much of a burden for you.”

Y/n chuckled, “It hasn’t been terrible.”

Zuko’s hand still rested on hers. She glanced down at their hands, thought about how if she twisted her hand slightly she’d be able to lace her fingers through his. It sent a shock down her spine. Why was she thinking about holding hands with the Fire Lord? She looked out to the ocean, but didn’t move her hand.

Y/n thought she might’ve misjudged Zuko a little. She hadn’t known about his mother being banished or his reunion with her. In all honesty, she knew little about the intimate details of the Fire Nation royal family. She’d fought Azula and her friends with the Kyoshi Warriors, watched Zuko become Fire Lord, had tea at Iroh’s shop in Ba Sing Se. But she’d never really thought about their family and what it must’ve been like to be raised by someone like Ozai. Y/n had a newfound sympathy for him.

Y/n’s thoughts were interrupted by shouting coming from the water. She looked up to see Suki trying to help Sokka out of the water. She was dragging him more than anything.

Suki looked over to Zuko and Y/n. She began to say something, but cut herself off as she took in their closeness and hands. Y/n blushed furiously and roughly pulled her hand away from Zuko. Suki had a knowing smirk on her face as she pulled a spluttering Sokka towards them.

Desperate to avoid Suki’s inevitable teasing, Y/n quickly asked, “What happened to him?”

“Sokka got a little too excited trying to show off his water sword techniques,” Suki replied.

“Ah.”

“Hey, I would’ve been fine if you let me do that one spinny move!” Sokka protested from his spot draped over Suki.

“You can show me again when there isn’t the immediate threat of you drowning,” Suki told him.

They sat down on the sand next to Y/n, unknowingly destroying her sand village. A tiny piece of her heart broke watching her home disappearing in front of her again. Something brushed against her pinky. She glanced down to see Zuko’s hand subtly reaching to rest next to hers. Y/n let him.

\---

They spent a few more hours on the beach, playing some beach ball and having sand castle building competitions. Azula and Ty Lee didn’t return until the sun had already begun to set. Zuko raised his eyebrows at them and Azula made a rude gesture that had Ty Lee scolding her for at least 5 minutes. They returned to the house as a group and ate a dinner that had been prepared by a chef that Y/n never saw.

She felt quite exhausted by the time they retired to the living room. This day had been draining physically and emotionally for her. A big part of Y/n wanted to escape and go to bed, but the soldier part of her brain forced her to stay.

She was sitting next to Suki on a couch as Azula pulled a bunch of expensive looking art supplies out of a bag. 

Sokka looked over at the stack of canvases and paints, “I didn’t take you for an artist, Azula.”

She scoffed at him, “I’m not one. I paint to channel my emotions in a way that isn’t  _ destructive _ , as the royal therapists like to describe it.”

Ty Lee beamed at Azula, “Ever since she started painting her aura has been way brighter! We even paint together sometimes. I packed enough supplies for all of us, I thought we could have a group painting night!” 

“That sounds fun! I’m in. Toss me a canvas,” Suki said. The rest of the group chipped in with their agreement and Ty Lee began to pass out the supplies. 

Y/n wasn’t too familiar with making art, preferring to channel her emotions through exercise and training. She didn’t count her warrior makeup as painting, though that did take practice to get right. 

Sokka was already enthusiastically splattering paint onto his canvas. Zuko kept glancing at Sokka’s canvas, as if he was trying to figure out where to start on his own. Azula had also begun her piece, Ty Lee electing to lean on her shoulder and watch instead of doing her own painting. Suki was sketching out what looked like a scenic view of the mountains near Kyoshi Island. 

Y/n looked at her canvas, unsure of what to do. Her life revolved around the Kyoshi Warriors and her job. She definitely had other interests though, right?

Ok maybe not.

She carefully used the paint brush to pick up paint in her palette. First the various shades of green and finally the fiery red tones. With that her first attempt at painting was started. Y/n wanted to paint someone that meant a lot to her.

Zuko craned his head towards her canvas trying to catch a peak at what Y/n was painting. She fluffed up his hair in response.

“Y/n!” he whined trying desperately to fix his hair.

“That’s what you get for being nosy,” she stuck her tongue at him, feeling comfortable around him for once. Their conversation from earlier had done more to their bond than she initially realized.

“I just wanted to see the painting you did of us.”

“Us?” she raised a brow.

Zuko took her canvas and held it up to get a better look.

“Isn’t the green person supposed to be you and the red one me? Don’t get me wrong, I like it a lot.”

Before Y/n could correct him, Ty Lee took notice of their conversation. 

“Awh! You painted each other holding hands. That’s so sweet Y/n!”

“Those are supposed to be people?” Azula questioned, pointing to the blobs on Y/n’s canvas. 

Y/n quickly grabbed her canvas back, again feeling her cheeks flush.

“It’s obviously a painting of Avatar Kyoshi and General Rangi!”

“Wow, way to jump to conclusions Zuko. Didn’t know holding hands with Y/n was something that’s on your mind often,” Azula teased.

“I think about other things!” he grumbled.

“Like what?” Azula smirked, “Now that I have everyone's attention, look at  _ my  _ painting.”

Azula held up what was both the most beautifully done painting and the most horrifying thing Y/n had ever seen. The devil was in the small intricate bloody details she included. Something about her painting managed to shock almost everyone in the room. Even Ty Lee looked sick. The only person who did not react in shock was Zuko.

“Nice job Azula! Is this supposed to be your twelfth birthday?”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this Zuko but you’re actually right. Just this once though.”

Thoroughly disturbed, they all slowly started packing for the night. Sokka and Suki went to their room first. Azula brewed a cup of ginger tea for Ty Lee, who still felt a bit sick. There was only one room left in the house they were staying at, so Y/n started to set up her bed on one of the living room couches. 

Zuko began to walk to his room, but then paused and gestured at Y/n to follow him. Confused, she got up and followed him. Before she knew it, they were alone. In  _ his  _ room.

“Did you need something or…” Y/n trailed off, fumbling with her hands. Not hearing her, Zuko began to change into his night clothes. Y/n frantically tried to avoid looking.

Zuko noticed her embarrassment and said, “I just thought you shouldn’t have to sleep in the living room. I was the one who invited you here in the first place.”

_ Oh.  _ He was just getting ready for bed. In front of her. Kinda weird but that’s fine? 

“Don’t worry about it Fire Lord. I’ve slept in worse places. I’ll be fine on the couch,” she said in an attempt to sound as professional as possible.

“Zuko,” he corrected her inching closer to her. Y/n’s cheeks flushed in response.

“I insist. Really, this bed is big enough for the both of us,” he sheepishly ran his fingers through his hair. “If it makes you feel any better, we can put pillows in the middle of the bed.”

“Alright,” Y/n shyly said, picking up pillows to pile in the middle of the bed. She layed on her side of the pillow pile, feeling Zuko’s warmth radiate from the other side.

“Goodnight, Y/n,” he whispered, blowing out the lights.

“Goodnight, Zuko.”

It wasn’t until she started to drift off into sleep that she noticed that was the first time she had ever addressed him by his name out loud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> plugging our [tumblr](https://avtrkyoshis.tumblr.com/) for anyone who missed it last chap!


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